AFC Maintains Núñez Suspension: Al Hilal's ACL Clash Without Their Star
29 March 2026
AFC Decision: Núñez Remains Suspended
The Asian Football Confederation reportedly decided not to lift the suspension on Darwin Núñez, the Uruguayan star of Al Hilal, ahead of the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16.
Núñez will not be on the field for the encounter against Al Sadd due to accumulated cards, ruling him out of the pivotal matchup.
Earlier, Al Hilal had submitted a request to have the ban lifted, following changes to the Elite Round of 16 regulations in the AFC Champions League. The request was not granted, according to sources cited by the Saudi daily, Al-Yawm, with officials stating Núñez will miss the Al Sadd game.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal gears up for a domestic test, facing Al-Taawoun in the 27th round of the Roshen Pro League, at the Kingdom Arena on 4 April. The team is hopeful for a positive run ahead of their continental commitments.
Looking further ahead, Al Hilal will meet Al Sadd again on 13 April at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with the winner advancing to face Vissel Kobe in the AFC Elite Cup quarterfinals in Japan.
Humor break: If data analytics could ban players, some teams would be banned from sarcasm for excessive optimism. Punchlines aside, the title fights continue, and so does Núñez’s saga—the ban remains the ball in play for now.
End note: For fans following the broader storyline, there’s still a chance Núñez could impact future meetings, but this week’s decision locks him out of the upcoming fixtures against Al Sadd.
